"Master, your intuition is correct. That's exactly how realm spirit planned it."
Xiao Xian answered plainly.
Yun Xi thought for a moment and said, "Xiao Xian, this isn't like you. You're not asking for extra reward?"
"Hehe! Master, realm spirit intentionally kept the task vague. As long as you complete it, the reward is mine to take, and realm spirit can't object."
Yun Xi narrowed her eyes. "Xiao Xian, are you sure doing this won't make realm spirit kick us out?"
"Master, don't worry. Right now it can only protect itself; he has no power to do anything against you. If you abandon the task, realm spirit won't find another willing to take this mess on."
Xiao Xian's tone was full of confidence.
Yun Xi cleared her throat and transmitted a message: "Xiao Xian, before, when you and I went to realm spirit's territory, was that to assess its situation?"
"Yes. Otherwise, how could I be sure it would keep its promise after you risked everything to deal with Li Chang? Figuring out its strength was just a bonus, to help you plan your next moves. I only communicated with it mentally, so if I couldn't gauge its state, it would be unwise to overstep."
Xiao Xian admitted openly.
Yun Xi touched her nose and directly pulled Dian Dian out from the spatial pocket.
The moment Dian Dian appeared, she transmitted her concern: "Master, Dian Dian senses your cultivation is unstable. What happened? Did the pill cause a problem?"
Yun Xi stroked Dian Dian's head. "Don't worry. It's just a side effect from forcibly boosting cultivation. Your life is not in danger."
Dian Dian anxiously scratched her ears. The pill was found in the Yixian Gate's medicinal lab. If anything happened to Master, she would blame herself endlessly.
Yun Xi watched Dian Dian fuss and said with amusement, "It's really nothing. Once we return to the sect, I'll close myself off for a while to heal the hidden injuries.
Your task now is to lead me to the source of the evil corrupting the beasts. If we don't eliminate it, the beasts in the secret realm will continue to be corrupted, attacking the cultivators who enter. Nascent Soul cultivators might fail to stop them, and then they will advance to the Golden Core cultivators' training grounds."
Dian Dian nodded seriously. Her little nose sniffed the air and pointed in a direction. "Master, this way. The evil energy is strongest in this direction."
Yun Xi flickered through the air and headed straight toward where Dian Dian pointed.
Meanwhile, in the valley, all the Nascent Soul cultivators had already fought a round outside the valley. Their expressions were heavy. The corrupted giant beasts seemed endless, streaming into the valley without pause.
Xian Xu Zhēnjūn furrowed his brow and said, "Xian Yao, the second line of defense is about to be breached. We cannot just defend the valley. We must find a chance to break through, or these beasts will wear us down to death."
Xian Yao's eyes were also full of anxiety. She replied, "I have thought about that, but breaking through means falling into the beasts' ambush. These are not ordinary monsters. Do you really think we have a chance? And if we scatter, the beasts can pick us off one by one. Will the others agree?"
"But we cannot keep killing these corrupted beasts forever. Even we will exhaust ourselves," Xian Xu said with a frown.
At that moment, Yun Chen Fózǐ, Han Lian Zhēnjūn, and Xun Kun Zhēnjūn arrived together to see Xian Yao.
"Three of you, have you found a way to escape?" Xian Yao asked expectantly.
"Amitabha! Xian Yao Daoyou, we have indeed found some clues. Do you remember that Haoran Sect cultivator who fell into a spatial rift before the battle?"
Xian Yao nodded. "Yes, I remember."
Yun Chen Fózǐ continued, "Just now, Feng Daoyou sent me a message saying he discovered the source of the giant beasts' corruption and asked for our support. We must break through the corrupted beasts' encirclement."
Xian Xu frowned and interrupted, "Yun Chen Fózǐ, how can you be sure Feng Daoyou's message is true? What if it's a trap to lure you into the beasts' encirclement? Where is Feng Daoyou now? How did she find the source? Why can't he handle it herself?"
The barrage of questions silenced Yun Chen Fózǐ, and indirectly voiced Xian Yao's doubts.
She cleared her throat and said, "Yun Chen Fózǐ, could this be an evil cultivator's scheme? Be careful and do not fall into their trap at a crucial moment."
"Amitabha! Xian Yao Daoyou, your concern is valid. It is we who did not consider thoroughly. We apologize for the disturbance," Yun Chen Fózǐ said, then turned and left, leaving Xian Xu unable to speak further.
Xian Yao frowned but did not stop them.
After leaving the Huaxian Gate's base, Han Lian Zhēnjūn suddenly spoke: "Yun Chen, do you want to attempt breaking out?"
He said it as a statement, not a question, and Yun Chen nodded without objection.
Xun Kun's black-and-white eyes glanced at the two and said, "Do you trust this Feng Daoyou so much?"
Han Lian nodded. "He saved my life and has never abandoned us at critical moments. I trust he has no reason to harm us."
"Amitabha! Feng Daoyou sent the message using the prayer beads I gave him. It must be him. Now she has discovered the source of the problem and is asking for my help. We need to investigate. Only by dealing with the source can these corrupted beasts be eliminated."
Xun Kun nodded. "Then why didn't Yun Chen Fózǐ explain before? Those from Huaxian Gate would likely not object."
"They do not want to take risks," Han Lian answered.
Xun Kun thought for a moment. "Even if I go alone, I will break out with you two. Do we need to inform the Haoran Sect cultivators?"
"No need."
"Absolutely not."
Yun Chen and Han Lian quickly dismissed the idea. They did not want to alert anyone. That Yu Su was still in the Haoran Sect team, her spirit currently in the soul nurturing stone held by Feng Xiyun. The one in front of them was undoubtedly an evil cultivator—they would never lead a wolf along with them.
Xun Kun's eyes narrowed. He sensed they knew more than he did.
Yun Chen Fózǐ joined hands and said, "Amitabha! Xun Kun Daoyou, some things cannot be revealed now. If you want to join us, meet here in half an hour."
Xun Kun nodded and returned to where the Southern Region cultivators gathered to make preparations. He could not just rush out blindly.
Meanwhile, Yun Xi was observing from a distance the red flower emitting waves of evil energy. Encircling it were corrupted giant beasts, feeding on the flower's energy.
The beasts' bodies twisted and grew stronger as they absorbed the energy, even more massive than before. Yun Xi frowned. The beasts guarding the flower were too numerous for her to act directly. She had sent a plea to Yun Chen Fózǐ earlier, but she wasn't sure if he could arrive in time.
Yun Chen Fózǐ's Buddhist cultivation naturally suppressed evil energy, and with her lightning spells, they should be able to deal with the fragile corrupted flower.